Animal Health Archives - Page 13 of 13

Golden Years

Seeing LouLou, a 36-year-old female African elephant at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, participate in one of her daily care routines is like witnessing a pedicure of gigantic proportions.

Annie Dinwiddie, senior elephant keeper, points her target pole toward a horizontal rod and gently says, “foot.” Three-and-a-half-ton LouLou gracefully places her twelve-inch diameter round pad on a foot rest where Dinwiddie can inspect it and remedy any issues.

“We do this every day with all of our elephants,” Dinwiddie said. “As big as elephants are, the last thing we want is foot problems. Those feet are connected to the rest of their giant body. Their foot health is often a good indicator of their overall health, so this is one way we’re taking a preventative approach in their overall care.”

LouLou balances on three legs and presents her front left foot while Dinwiddie washes it and inspects it closely for any stuck debris, cracks or elephant-sized hang nails. The process takes about three minutes on one foot that needs a little work, due to LouLou enthusiastically using her toenails to strip bark from a log – a tasty treat for elephants. With the same ease and grace as she did before, at Dinwiddie’s request, LouLou expertly shifts her weight to present her back foot and Dinwiddie repeats the process.

LouLou is one of six “Golden Girls” in Encounter Africa, along with Missy, Kimba, Lucky, Jambo and Malaika. They’re all African elephants, but have unique personalities and some distinguishable physical features that help CMZoo visitors recognize and enjoy their individual personalities.

At 49, Missy is one of the oldest African elephants in human care in accredited zoos. She’s often in the yard with LouLou, 36, who is the easiest elephant to identify because she doesn’t have tusks. Kimba, 40, is the largest of the group, weighing in at just over 9,000 pounds. Lucky, 38, is playful and can be seen splashing around in the water or, on sunny winter days, throwing snow and then eating it. Jambo, 35, and Malaika, 32, are known as the sassiest and prefer to spend solo time in one of their many spaces at the Zoo.

“In addition to providing foot care, we’re always trying to give them opportunities to take care of their feet on their own,” Dinwiddie said. “We do that by allowing them to be elephants and to do what elephants are designed to do: move and walk. We have a lot of space for our elephants.”

That space is important in keeping six middle-to-upper aged elephants exercised, flexible and mentally engaged.

“They get smarter and smarter, so we’re constantly thinking of new ways to keep them stimulated and on their toes – and that keeps us on our toes,” said Thomas Reid, elephant animal keeper. “They may be getting up there in age, but they’re all young at heart.”

A big part of an elephant keeper’s job is moving them around between the different spaces. The goal is to prevent them from being in the same space for more than an hour. Various husbandry activities that keepers practice with the elephants daily means the elephants explore different areas and stay comfortable with keepers being in protected-but-close proximity, which is necessary to their care.

“The training is always on their terms,” Dinwiddie said. “They’re trained to present their ears so we can do monthly blood draws. There are a lot of blood vessels in their ears and it’s the thinnest area of skin. They have the ability to restrict blood flow to their ears, so literally if they don’t want to participate, they can prevent it from happening. If they choose to participate, they get a handful of jumbo marshmallows as a special treat that reinforces their behavior.”

Taking proper care of any animal requires dedication, but keeping this aging group healthy and happy calls for a jam-packed schedule of care, training, monitoring and documentation.

The elephants also participate in ‘elephant yoga,’ doing various stretches instructed by keepers in effort to maintain flexibility. Keepers take the elephants on daily walks on a quarter-mile path they call the elephant trek, ensuring they get adequate exercise. Lucky and Missy get injections to help with arthritis, and they’re all weighed monthly. Keepers document images of each of their feet to track changes long-term and five of the six elephants need regular oral medications for various reasons.

“Because of their size, often it’s a large number of pills,” Dinwiddie said. ”We ask them to come around to the bollards and open their mouths. Then we throw the pills into their mouths and chase it with orange juice. They swallow and it’s all done.”

On days of 40-degrees-or-cooler weather, the girls have the option of going into the barn, which is open to guests all year long, or into the yard. Visitors can also get to know CMZoo’s amazing elephant herd by planning an animal encounter. During these behind-the-scenes experiences, guests can feed them and even watch them paint a picture.
For more information, visit cmzoo.org/encounter.

— Drill at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17; Colorado Springs Fire Department to Partner on Training —

January 16, 2018, Colorado Springs, CO – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will conduct an emergency preparedness drill on Wednesday to train and troubleshoot on important equipment in the Wilgruen Elephant Center. This equipment was used recently to save an elephant’s life, and it is likely to be needed more frequently as our elephant herd ages.

The Wilgruen Elephant Center was built with the Colorado Springs community’s support as part of the Encounter Africa exhibit that opened in 2013. The Zoo’s goal for the exhibit was to serve as a final home for aging female African elephants.

To prepare, the Zoo outfitted the barn with state-of-the-art equipment that would help address the inevitable complications that come with multi-ton animals that need medical assistance. Equipment includes a remote video surveillance system for animal care staff to monitor the elephants, a crane-and-hoist system that can lift a disabled elephant and a care system that provides a safe area for weighing, veterinary care and husbandry training. Outdoor wellness features of the exhibit include an exercise path, built-in enrichment activities, a pool and a spacious vacation yard, where our elephants can take time to roam and explore by themselves.

On Jan. 1, 2018, the specialized crane-and-hoist system in the barn was used to save our 32-year-old elephant’s life. Surveillance video later showed that as Malaika was falling into a deep sleep, one of her legs wobbled. She lost her balance and fell, and she was unable to get back up on her own. Some elephants are able to lie down and get back up with no problem, but Malaika is one of many elephants that don’t ever lie down. If an elephant can’t get up on its own and is down for too long, it can cause stress to its internal organs and can be fatal. Although Zoo staff were able to successfully use the equipment get her back on her feet under emergency protocols, the hoist broke in the process.

“Luckily, the equipment failure came after Malaika was out of immediate danger,” said Bob Chastain, president and CEO of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, who assisted with the rescue. “However, there was a concern that she may not be stable enough and could go back down. We needed to create a ‘Plan B,’ and the Colorado Springs Fire Department’s Heavy Rescue group was willing to assist.”

Together, Zoo staff and the fire department crew were able to craft a plan to assist Malaika, in case she fell again. To everyone’s relief, Malaika has been steady since the fall, and has not needed further assistance. She had no lasting effects from the fall.

Since the incident, all three shifts of the fire department’s Heavy Rescue group have trained at the Zoo to prepare for any future medical emergencies.

Wednesday’s drill will use multiple 2,000-pound sandbags to simulate an elephant that needs assistance. The goal is to train staff on how to use the hoist more effectively and try to prevent equipment failure in the future. CSFD personnel will be on hand to learn about the hoist and hone their ‘Plan B,’ in case Zoo staff needs assistance in the future.

The Zoo’s female elephant herd consists of Malaika (32 years old, 7,800 pounds), Kimba (40 years old, 9,600 pounds), Lucky (39 years old, 7,700 pounds), Jambo (35 years old, 8,400 pounds), Missy (48 years old, 8,200 pounds) and LouLou (35 years old, 6,800 pounds). The median life expectancy for female African elephants in human care is 38.6 years. Missy is the 3rd oldest living elephant in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited organization.

The indoor elephant viewing area will remain open to the public during the drill.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s ONLY mountain zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s hope that guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Of the 233 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just ten operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues and donations for funding.